Golfwear Palm Pad

ABSTRACT

A golf glove is disclosed with a circular contact patch designated, with biomechanical precision, in the centre of the palm that indicates a neutral hand position. In the modern, total body golf swing, where the rotating torso is the major power generator of the golf swing, the arms and hands are flung around, and in front, of the rotating body during the downswing. The primary function of the hands is to hold onto the clubshaft in such a manner that the clubface will be allowed to become square to the ball-target line at the time of impact, and this feat is best accomplished if the hands are in the neutral position.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 12/658,840, filed on Feb. 16, 2010.

BACKGROUND

At high velocities, the golfer cannot possibly make small handadjustments during the late downswing to correct for small imperfectionsin the alignment of the clubface as it nears impact. The golfer has torely on a good grip that will always allow the clubface to become squareto the ball-target line at impact. Placing the hands properly on thegolf club helps better control of the position of the clubface at thetime of impact. During the swing, the body turns to create power. Sincethe body is rotating, the golf club must rotate at the same rate. Afundamentally sound grip is created by a sense of power and feel at thesame time.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A neutral hand position describes a good golf grip, whereby the handsare placed alongside the clubshaft in such a manner, that they willautomatically, and passively, reach the impact position in a uniformlyconsistent manner Therefore in this preferred method, it is the objectof the present invention, to provide the player's golf grip with acircular contact patch that is stitched onto the golf glove in a mannerthat is operatively associated to the uniform correctness of the golfgrip in relation to the clubshaft that is held. In other words, thiscontact patch therefore serves as a uniform indication of a correctlygripped clubshaft, by improving the players' visceral feel of theclubshaft when gripped. This biomechanically precise contact patchlocation is the object of the present invention, and is properly foundby closing our hands into a natural first position, not activelymanipulating the action, the area in which the ring fingers' distalphalanges contacts the palm surface is considered, according to easternanatomical studies, the centre of the palm. The contact patch located atthe centre of the palm effectively traps the clubshaft into a neutralhand position. The contact patch thereby reinforces the integralimportance of a powerful yet sensibly accurate grip so that throughoutthe swing action there is no chance that the grip end of the club willtwist or shift errantly within the left hand's grip at any time pointduring the swing. Due to the varying dimensions of hands' the actualdiameter of the contact patch will be fabricated onto the glove in threepredetermined sizes.

Golf begins with a good grip.

All instructors uniformly emphasize the importance of a good grip asbeing the fundamental keystone of a good golf swing.

In the modern, total body golf swing, where the rotating torso is themajor power generator of the golf swing, the arms and hands are flungaround, and in front, of the rotating body during the downswing. Themajor function of the hands is to hold firmly onto the golf club—thehands should be thought of as simply being “clamps” that firmly holdonto the club while the club is swung through the impact zone. The handsshould not actively manipulate the golf club during the impact zone.

David Leadbetter states “that one should think of the hands asconductors through which the speed and power created by the turningmotion of your body is transferred to the clubhead.”

Clubface must approach the ball so that it will become square to theball-target line at the time of impact. The primary function of thehands is to hold onto the clubshaft in such a manner that the clubfacewill be allowed to become square to the ball-target line at the time ofimpact, and this feat is best accomplished if the hands are in theneutral position (palms facing each other across the clubshaft, whilebeing square to the target).

Consider the fact that the clubhead may be travelling at >100 mph at thetime of impact. At such a high velocity, the golfer cannot possibly makesmall hand adjustments during the late downswing to correct for smallimperfections in the alignment of the clubface as the clubhead nearsimpact, and the golfer has to rely on a good grip that will always allowthe clubface to become square to the ball-target line at impact.

One of the fundamental features of a good grip is a neutral handposition, whereby the hands are placed alongside the clubshaft in such amanner, that they will automatically, and passively, reach the impactposition in a consistent manner—such that the back of the left hand,palm of the right hand, and clubface always faces the target at the timeof ball impact.

To get the ideal grip position, one should start off with the left hand.It is not critical which approach one adopts as long as the club's gripis placed diagonally along the lower palm of the left hand. The club'sgrip should not lie solely within the fingers (as would occur if onegripped a vertical flagpole with one's fingers) or across the mid-palmor upper palm.

Note that the top of the grip lies below the hypothenar muscle bulge andthat it lies in the lower palm between the hypothenar eminence and thebase of the 5^(th) finger. Note that the grip lies diagonally across thelower palm sot that it crosses the proximal phalanx of the index finger.

When the fingers, three fingers of the left hand (3^(rd), 4^(th), 5^(th)fingers), are primarily responsible for gripping the club grip firmly inthe left hand. The index finger lies more loosely across the grip. Mostimportantly, one should never let the grip ride high in the palm, sothat it is directly over, or inside 9 above) the hyopthenar eminence(along the lifeline palmar crease).

The grip pressure should be firm—it should not be possible to pull thegrip end of the club out of the left hand if another person pulls on theclubhead end of the club. A golfer must maintain a firm left hand gripthroughout the swing action so that there is no chance that the grip-endof the club will twist within the left hand's grip at any time pointduring the swing.

The tips of the 3^(rd), 4^(th), and 5^(th) fingers should just touch theside of the base of the thumb (inner side of the thenar eminence) thuseffectively trapping the club between the fingers and the lower palm. Ifthe tips of the fingers do not reach the thenar eminence, then thegrip's width is too large for the golfer's hand size. *If the tips ofthe fingers slide under the inner edge of the thenar eminence, then thegrip's width is too small for the golfer's hand size.

To be biomechanically precise—it is only the ulnar half of the left palmthat is truly facing the ulnar half of the right palm. The radial halfof the left palm is lying partly over the top of the grip, and theradial half of the right palm is lying partly over the left thumb.

1) An improved lead hand golf glove that improves accuracy comprising: abiomechanically precise circular contact pad location fabricated ontothe exact centre of the players palm area that is found according toeastern anatomical coordinates of the ring fingers' distal phalangepoint of contact with the palm surface when in a naturally closed orclenched first position; a biomechanically precise circular contact padlocation as indicated above is used to give player's golf grip with acircular contact patch that is stitched onto the golf glove in a mannerthat is operatively associated to the uniform correctness of the golfgrip in relation to the clubshaft that is held, this uniform correctnessis referred to as the neutral hand position that allows the clubface tobecome square to the target at time of impact.